If ever grief was captured in a performance, this is it. Opera North’s Orfeo ed Euridice is a dramatic concert performance, where the set and costume design is stripped back, leaving the singers and music to take centre stage. That said, the stage...
The glittering ball that awaits audiences at Hope Mill Theatre this Christmas has been a long-time in the making. Owners, Joseph Houston and William Whelton had this show in their sights for four years, and twice its staging was stalled due to Covid...
Erich Kästner was an exceptional writer of fiction for children (Emile and the Detectives is perhaps his best known work). Identical is a new musical adaptation of another of Kästner’s tales, Lisa and Lottie. If you’ve seen any of the film versions...
No matter what the weather, it is always hard to drag kids away from the excitement of their screens. So, if the summer sunshine isn’t enough to entice your little ones away from their digital devices, our 10-year-old reviewer has tried out some of...
It may have been going for more than five decades but you will not see a more vibrant show this year than the current touring production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. Given its popularity and longevity it is hard now to imagine...
It was a very smart move of Tim Firth to adapt his 1998 TV comedy, Neville’s Island, for the stage in 2013. It has rarely – if ever – been out of production since. It looks like being another smart move for him to realise (or be...
Miray Sidhom is a brilliant storyteller. That becomes increasingly clear throughout this production of The Bread We Break at Contact Theatre. She captures the essence of Egypt through clever projections behind her set and through the incredible live...
Northern Broadsides’ As You Like It is the first production I’ve seen staged in the round at The Lowry’s Quays Theatre, and it’s a layout that certainly suits both venue and play. It feels more novel and intimate than a proscenium arch staging...
On the day Putin’s Russian troops invade Ukraine it feels more important than ever to contemplate both the joy and the fragility of our freedom to roam. Freedom to Roam: The Rhythms of Migration, an evening of music and film, arrives at...
For those who’ve never seen Richard O’Brien’s The Rocky Horror Show before, it can be summed up in three words: crazy, catchy and confusing. In fact, the plot is so baffling and nonsensical that it is hard to explain. Directed by Christopher...
Carmel Thomason
Martin Thomasson
Paul Thomason
Niamh Melody
Georgina Wells